Cause for Lament

The Souter Civil War Saga #3

by Oliver Woodman

‘Excellent plot, loved how it bought the Civil War to life. Particularly liked the historical detail’ – Marion Waters on Man of Blood England. 1650s. As the strife of the English Civil War subsides, Oliver Cromwell is now Lord Protector. But the Royalists are not finished yet … After the shock of civil war, life seems to be getting back to normal for the simple folk of the beautiful Suffolk village of Monks Soham, until suddenly they find themselves faced again with dreadful choices and divided loyalties. The revelation that there is a plot to kill Oliver Cromwell somehow comes as no surprise to Josiah Souter, a former Ironsides officer. He is, however, horrified that the threat comes from Cromwell’s erstwhile friends. Why then does Josiah’s old cavalry corporal Isaiah Yates come knocking on his door one night, begging for a hiding place? What is the secret that Isaiah shares with Lady Anne, wife of Royalist sympathiser Sir Roger Harrington? Why does Noel Kimber, a deserter from the Army of Parliament, also seek refuge on the Souter farm? What of the future freedoms of the people if Cromwell were to die? These are questions that need urgent answers in Oliver Woodman’s latest English Civil War saga, Cause for Lament. Woodman has again produced a fast-paced and engaging story that gives readers a fascinating insight into a pivotal moment in British history. Oliver Woodman’s working life gave him a wonderful training in the written and spoken word. But history was always a great love, as was communicating its fascination. Immersion in the seventeenth century began with childhood lectures over Sunday lunch from his father. Apart from recreating a luxuriant historical texture, Oliver Woodman’s main achievement is to look at choices from different points of view and provide an insight into how attitudes and beliefs reflect the worlds into which we are born and live. Other historical fiction by Oliver Woodman includes Cruel Necessity and Man of Blood.

146 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 29, 2018

Reviews

[Dallas Dallas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved reading all three books in Oliver Woodman's Civil War series. I think I liked the the first book, Man of Blood, best but it's a near thing. I was so glad to read more about Josiah and Suzanna.

I am hoping that Mr Woodman will keep writing books in this series. Perhaps the next one could be about Edward Seaton. Bits of Edward's story were told for some reason surely.

I'm now going to start from the beginning and read all three again. I only wish that each was an eight hundred-pager like a Dickens or a Trollope novel.

[Brian Kitchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The war has seemingly been won by the Parliament cause and Josiah Souter has returned to his former life as a Suffolk Farmer, with the former Captain in Cromwell's 1st Regiment hoping he'll not have to take up arms again. A plot is discovered to assassinate Oliver Cromwell however and Josiah's services are called upon once more.